


Mistress of the Dance

by Treon



Category: Canaanite Religion
Genre: Collection: Purimgifts Extras, Gen, ancient gods, dance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-28
Updated: 2021-02-28
Packaged: 2021-03-12 05:07:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 295
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29754510
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Treon/pseuds/Treon
Summary: First there was darkness.Then there was light.Then there was dance.Then there was life.
Comments: 2
Kudos: 3
Collections: Purimgifts 2021





	Mistress of the Dance

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Hagar](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hagar/gifts).



First there was darkness.   
Then there was light.  
Then there was dance.  
Then there was life.

Baalat Marquod was a patient God. She had no choice. She was not responsible for any of the things that seemed to matter most to humans: love and war, sun and moon, rain and sea, fertility and death.

She had given humanity the most precious gift of all: the gift of dance. Temples had been built for her on the shores of Phoenicia, and the people danced and danced until they had no more strength, thanking her by expressing their zest for life. 

Times had changed and for centuries this gift was completely forgotten and disregarded, looked upon as a frivolous pastime. Definitely not something that belonged in the temples and places of worship. The priests and priestesses of the age demanded somber thought and dedication.

But she knew that without dance, there was no life. 

Her acolytes continued to dance at home and in the fields, and yes - even in the now serious places of worship, where this was frowned upon.

It had taken centuries until her Godhood was validated. Until people started rebuilding her temples, and dedicating themselves once again to discovering their own vitality. Until they gathered in the streets and in the halls, taught the young ones how to continue the traditions, and used their new technology to share their gift with the world. Until they realized how really precious was her gift to them.

She was still unknown, her name had long been forgotten. But she was a patient God. This was, after all, the advantage of immortality. She would patiently wait until the people recognized her once again, and danced for her as they did in the past, on the shores of Phoenicia.

**Author's Note:**

> I've taken some liberties with both deity and reality. I hope you'll enjoy it :-)


End file.
